Billfold



Nov. 6, 1945. 1.. SHERWOOD B ILLFOIJD Filed Feb. 20, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ill...

8 n u m 6% m m g 4 4 MWHWUR 4 e E z Patented Nov. 6, 1945 BILLFOLD Lester L. Sherwood, Los .Angeles, .Calif.

Application February 20, 1943, Serial No. 476,554

.2 Claims.

My invention relates to a folding container composed of flexible material, such as leather, and adapted to be carried in the pocket to serve as a convenient container for paper currency, checks, business cards, stamps and the like, and the principal objects of my inventionare, to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing forms o'fbill folds, to provide a bill fold of the character referred to that is wholly devoid of stitching as the medium' for maintaining the parts in assembled relation, and, further, to provide a bill fold wherein the main body is composed of -a single piece of material cut and shaped so that whenproperly folded, a number of compartments and pockets are formed for the reception of paper currency, checks, cards and the like-and which construction effects a material saving of time, labor and manufacturing costs.

A further object of my invention is to provide a bill fold wherein a separately formed flexible member is combined 'with one of the-pocket'forming walls and said member being adapted to receivea plurality of transparent envelopes of the type generally used in bill folds and the like for containing registration cards or certificates such as are issued to airplane pilots, motor vehicle drivers, employees of defense projects, and the like.

A further object of-my invention is :to provide a bill fold having new and novel 'means'for .effectively securing certain of the pocket closing flaps and which securing means is composed wholly of leather oranalogous flexible material, thus, eliminating the necessity for metal buckles, which tend to rust and corrode while in .use.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, my invention consists-in certain novel features of construction and arrangement .of parts which will be-hereinafter'more fully described and-claimed, and illustrated in the'accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the blank section .of material that forms the main body of the bill fold.

Fig. 2 is a View of the separately formed flexible'member that is associated with oneof .the Walls of the bill fold and which carries the transparent envelopes.

Fig. 3 is a View looking against the inner face of the bill fold while the same is opened to give access to the pockets and compartments therein.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the .bill fold in fully closed position.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to .Fig. 3 and showing Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 99 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged vertical-section taken on the line Ill-4 0 of Fig. '3.

"Fig. '11 is a view of the blank section of "materia'l used in forming the flexible buckle.

12 is an elevational View looking against the outer "face of the flexible buckle in partially folded condition.

Fig. '-l3"is a view looking against the inner'face of the flexible buckle in partially folded condition.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged horizontal section'taken onthe line l4l'4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 15 is a detail section taken on the line f5P5of Fig. 14.

I Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings'which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, 1'0 designates the sheet of thin, flexible material such as leather, which forms the body of the bill fold, said sheet being substantially rectangular in shape and foldable on a medial line to form an outer wall I l and aninner or back wall lining 12.

v "Formed integral with "the left hand end of wall H is "a flap -l3 'foldable on dotted line b and formed-in the centraliportion of said flap is a substantially square opening 14.

Formed integral 'with the right hand end of wall H is a flap l5, foldab'le on the dotted line 0, in the central portion of which is formed a substantially square opening I6.

Projecting from the central portions of the lower'edgeofwall .II isa tab I"! foldable on dotted line 11, which, when the bill fold is formed, is cemented *tothe inner face of back wall H.

Projectingfrom the lower edge of wall I I and foldable on-dotted lines 6 are rectangular pocket forming walls 18, spaced apart 'by tab 11 and 3 projecting from the lower edges of the walls are Formed integral with the ends of wall I9 and foldable on the dotted lines g are tabs 2I, and formed integral with the lower edges of walls I9 and foldable on the dotted lines h are tabs 22.

When the flexible member as just described is folded to form the bill fold, wall I2 is folded onto the front or inner face of wall II, tab I! having been previously cemented to the inner face of said wall II, after which walls I8 are folded upwardly on the dotted lines e, and walls I9 are now folded downwardly on the dotted lines ,1 so as to occupy positions between the walls I8 and end portions of wall I2.

Tabs 2| are inserted between the ends of kming wall I2 and back wall II and likewise tabs 22 are inserted between the lower edge of the lining wall I2 and said back wall.

Thus the tabs ZI and 22 serve to interlock walls I2 and I9, and at the same time reinforce and stay the lower and end edges of the bill fold, also the corners thereof.

The space between the back wall I I and lining wall I2 provides a secret pocket for the reception of paper currency, valuable papers and the like.

The space between the walls I8 and I9 and between wall I2 provide side pockets and to connect same, a connector 23 of leather, rectangular in shape and slightly smaller than walls I I and I2, has its end portions positioned between the walls I8 and I9, thus subdividing the pockets between said walls and closing the space between the inner ends of walls I9, as seen in Fig. 3.

The transparent envelope carrying member comprises a separately formed member 24, composed of leather or like flexible material, substantially in form as seen in Fig. 2, and provided at its left hand end with narrow tab 25, foldable on the dotted line i and on its right hand end with a wider tab 26, foldable on the dotted line 7'. Formed in tab 25 is a pair of spaced apertures 21, and a pair of spaced slits 28 are formed in tab 26.

Positioned on the front face of member 24 are one or more envelopes 29 of transparent material such as Cellophane adapted to receive vehicle operators license cards and the like and formed in said envelopes adjacent their left hand ends are apertures 36 which coincide with apertures 21 in tab 25. A tie or thong 3| passes through the coinciding apertures in tab 25 and envelopes 29 with the ends of said tie connected by suitable releasable means, such as a wire loop or coil (see Figs. 7 and 8).

When applied to the bill fold, member 24 is inserted between the left hand one of the walls I8 and the adjacent end of connector 23 with flap 26 folded back over the right hand end of wall I8 and the corresponding end of the envelopes thereon and flap I3 on the left hand end of wall II, is folded over onto said flap 26, with slits 28 and aperture I 4 in registration with each other.

A convenient and flexible connector is provided for the overlaping flaps I3 and 26 and for flap I5 and right hand end of Walls I8, said connection comprising a one piece strap and buckle, com-' ends of said slits extending short distances into the side sections 36.

In order to form the buckle and attach same to flap 26 of member 24 (or to wall I8) side sections 36 are folded over onto central section 35 as illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13.

The central portions of side sections 36 between the slits 31 are now placed against the front face of flap 26 between the slits 28 and strap 33 and the end portions 36a of the side section 36 to the left of the left hand one of the slits 31, are drawn through said left hand slit until said end portions 36a are positioned against the rear face of flap 26, between the slits 28 therein (see Figs. 14 and 15). The width of central section 35 is the same as the distance between the slits 28.

The end portions 36b of sections 36 are now passed through the right hand one of the slits 28 and laid flat on that portion of flap 26 between the slits therein, thus forming a flat loop 360 and the strap 33 is now passed through saidloop and thence through the right hand one of the slits 28.

With the parts thus positioned, the loop of the buckle or that portion comprising central section 35 and those portions 36 of the side members between slits 31, are positioned on the outer face of flap 26 between the slits 31 therein.

To secure flap I3, the same is folded down onto flap 26 with the square loop of the buckle passing through aperture I4 and strap 33 is now passed through said loop as illustrated in Figs. 3, 6 and 14, thereby effectively connecting the two flaps.

The structure just described provides an effective closure for the transparent certificate holding envelopes, likewise a closure for the outer ends of two of the pockets on the right hand portion of the bill fold.

When the bill fold is closed in order to be carried in the pocket, it is folded on a medial line between the inner ends of the pocket forming walls so as to have the appearance as illustrated in Fig. 4.

An especially desirable feature of my invention is, the entire absence of stitching and like fastening means for the walls and partitions and which partitions materially decreases production costs and produces a bill fold which has an unlimited degree of flexibility.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a bill fold that is simple in structure, inexpensive of manufacture, devoid of stitching staples, rivets and like fastening means, and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved bill fold may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bill fold, a body formed from a single piece of thin flexible material and comprising a back wall, flaps projecting from the ends thereof, one of which flaps is provided with an aperture, a back wall lining integral with the upper edge of said back wall, a pair of front walls integral with the lower edge of said back wall, one of said front walls being provided with parallel slits with which the aperture in said flap coincides when the parts of the billfold are folded, a pair of pocket forming partition walls integral with the lower edges of said front walls, tabs on the lower edges and outer ends of said partition forming walls for engaging behind the lower edges and ends of the back wall lining when the body is folded to form the bill fold a flexible buckle having parts passing through the slits in said one front wall, which buckle projects through the aperture in said flap when same is folded onto the front wall and a strap integral with said buckle, which strap passes around the end of the flap and through the portion of the buckle which projects through the aperture in said flap.

2. A bill fold as set forth in claim 1 with a flexibl memberdetachably connected to the other one of said front walls said flexible member including a flap having parallel slits, a series of transparent envelopes detachably connected to said flexible member, and a one piece flexible strap and buckle secured to the slited portion of said flap for detachably connecting the flap on said back wall with said flexible member.

LESTER L. SHERWOOD. 

